Posted 9 November, 2010

First reports about a possible yacht abduction by Somali Pirates were received 1 November. It was known that 3 crew were on board, however reports of where the yacht were taken were conflicting: near the Seychelles, near Lamu off the Kenyan coast, or near Brava, along the southern Somali coastline. The nationality of the yacht and crew was also unknown.

On 8 November it was confirmed by EU NAVFOR that they had rescued a South African Yacht Skipper from his abducted yacht when it ran aground on the Southern Somalia coast, however pirates had taken his two crew members (a woman and young man) ashore at Brawa to be held as hostages.

Read full report here [Broken Link].

It is still not clear exactly where the yacht was first abducted a week previously, or details of the hijacking.

Further information will be posted when known.

Update July 2012

The yacht Choizil was hijacked on the African coast in October 2010, skipper Peter Eldridge eventually escaped and told his story. His crew members, Bruno Pelizzari and Deborah Calitz, then spent 20 months in the hands of Somali pirates. They were freed in late June 2012 and have told their story to Sail-World.com. Read the details here.